System for the translation and locking operation of sliding doors

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a system intended to enable the translational movement of sliding doors and to actuate the blocking of same, whereby blocking means ( 14 ) can be actuated in a sequential and synchronised manner at the end of the translational movement of the doors. The invention includes a sliding door ( 1 ) actuated by a drive pulley ( 12 ) in turn actuated by a power source ( 2 ) operationally connected to an input shaft ( 5 ) of a planetary gear train ( 4 ) including a planet carrier ( 10 ) configured to activate the means ( 14 ) for blocking the door ( 1 ) when the door is in the closed position, such that the activation of said blocking means ( 14 ) can be prevented when the door ( 1 ) is not in the closed position

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a system for the translation andlocking operation of sliding doors, which allows sequentially andautomatically operating locking means of said doors after thetranslation movement for closing them has ended, as well as deactivatingsaid locking means prior to beginning the translation movement foropening them, without the possibility of changing the sequence ofactions.

The invention allows dispensing with external reducers located in serieswith a power source, such as for example at the output of an electricmotor, allowing the implementation thereof in any type of sliding door,including automatically operated doors of rail vehicles.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Today it is common practice to use automatically operated sliding doorsin public transport vehicles, such as for example in the area of railtransport.

Sliding doors are especially suitable for use in passenger railvehicles, and particularly in those vehicles having a high frequency ofshort stops for reasons of space economy and stop time on the platform,given that this type of door occupies minimum space in the openposition, being kept in an arrangement parallel to the walls of the carwhich allow preventing obstructing access to the cars.

On the other hand, sliding doors allow minimizing the stop time of therail vehicle on the platform, given that their operation is performedquickly.

This type of door usually consists of two leaves which are displacedparallel to and outside the body of the vehicle, fitting into theopening of the door when they are in the closed position.

To operate the leaves, they are linked to supports displaced on a guideand operated by a belt, which is in turn actuated by a motor.

In these doors, the belt has two shoes fixed thereto in oppositesections, each of which is articulated to a vertex of an L-shapedangular connecting rod. Likewise, each angular connecting rod isarticulated by the free end of its longest branch to the correspondingsupport. On the other hand, the other end of each angular connecting rodhas a lug for its displacement on an auxiliary guide.

Said auxiliary guides have an inflection at their inner end allowing theconnecting rods to keep their longest branch with an orientationperpendicular to the doors during most of their travel, in which thedoors are maintained parallel to the body of the vehicle, allowing aninward swinging movement, causing said doors to fit when they reach theoblique section of the auxiliary guides.

The doors of a rail vehicle are mainly subjected to two types ofstresses. On one hand, they are subjected to vertical actions, the maincomponent of which is due to the actual weight of the door, and on theother hand they are subjected to horizontal actions as a result ofpassengers resting against them and to a larger extent due to theaerodynamic load produced especially when the train is in transit, forexample in situations of trains passing one another or passing throughtunnels at high speeds. Said aerodynamic load is even more relevant inthe area of high speed trains, in which case it must be carefullyconsidered.

For doors to withstand said stresses, systems today comprise lockingmeans to keep the door closed once the movement for closing it hasended.

The main drawback of these doors is that all the loads the door issubjected to, both the vertical actions and the horizontal actions, arewithstood by frames located in the upper part, in correspondence withthe drive pulley for operating the movement of the doors, which are notenough to withstand the actions occurring in certain, sporadicsituations, such as for example when trains pass each other at highspeeds.

For the purpose of palliating the drawback discussed in the precedingparagraph, the elements comprised in the door must be oversized today,which makes them more expensive and increases their weight in aninefficient manner.

On the other hand, this type of door does not have mechanical meanswhich allow assuring that the door is locked sequentially andautomatically after it is closed, once the door is locked in its closedposition, therefore in a situation of aerodynamic impact, the lockingmeans may malfunction, with the subsequent risk of the door opening andcausing an accident.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a system for the translation andlocking operation of sliding doors comprising a epicyclic gear trainconfigured to automatically operate a locking means or system for doors,which allows maintaining and assuring said locking mechanically, thuspreventing the risk of malfunction both when the doors are closing andlocking, and when they are opening.

The doors can be configured to combine a transverse movement for pushingthem out prior to opening them and locking them in a closed position,said doors being known as push-out sliding doors, the possibility ofbeing in rail vehicles as well as in any public transport vehicle, suchas buses or ships, being contemplated, even being able to be doors usedin the area of construction, for example in building accesses, orsliding doors which do not swivel, i.e., in which there is not amovement prior to being pushed out.

The system for the translation and locking operation of sliding doors ofthe invention comprises at least one door configured to perform asliding movement operated by operating means.

Operating means are understood as the means necessary for pushing thedoor out, specifically a leaf of a door, when it is locked in the closedposition, to then move said door, parallel to the actual plane of thedoor, for the purpose of reaching an open position in which the openingof the door is open and completely accessible.

The operating means are likewise configured to move said door from theopen position to the closed position, in which the door is locked, againbeing in a positioning prior to being pushed out.

Actually, the movement of pushing the door out is the beginning of theopening thereof, to which end the possibility of the door being pushedout according to different outward movements or paths of the leaf,according to different angles between a push-out path perpendicular tothe plane of the door and a path parallel to the plane of the door iscontemplated, said options for the locking or inward movement of theleaf of the door to reach the closed position also being contemplated.

The possibility of the operating means of the system of the inventioncomprising any guide means or type configured so that the door performsa guided translation movement parallel to the actual plane of the doorduring most of its travel for opening and closing is likewisecontemplated, being able to comprise to that end triangular connectingrods, carriages, roller guides, steel tracks or any other type of guide.

According to an analysis of different paths of the inward and outwardmovement of the leaf, it can be concluded that angles closest to theperpendicular favor the tightness of the leaf in its closed position,this being the optimal path for pushing the leaf out in an emergencysituation, however the work of wedge locking is unfavorable.

On the other hand, acute angles favor the work of wedge locking, howeverin the case of rail vehicles the leaf can touch the body on the sides,in addition to damaging the work of the rubber seals of the door andnegatively affect pushing the leaf out in the case in case of emergency.

Therefore, considering the aspects discussed above, it is experimentallyconcluded that the optimal solution is a path forming a 70° angle withthe body, which has the advantages of pushing out perpendicularly,favors the work of wedge locking, and allows more horizontal guides,i.e., with less inclination, resulting in less stress.

In rail vehicles, said angle of outward movement of 70° is the criticalangle to not touch the fairing of the train. It is the optimal anglefrom the point of view of tightness, pushing and unlocking in the caseof manual opening in emergency situations, while at the same time havinga smooth inward movement.

According to the invention, the operating means comprise at least onedrive or traction pulley actuated by means of at least one power source,which is operatively connected to an input shaft of an epicyclic geartrain.

The epicyclic gear train comprises a planet carrier and is configured tosequentially activate locking means of the door when it is in a closedposition, being in a locked position in which the drive pulley does notact.

The epicyclic gear train is also configured to prevent an activation ofsaid locking means when the door is not in the closed position.

The epicyclic gear train thus has a dual function which is automaticallyperformed sequentially and synchronously, increasing the safety of theclosed position of the door; it first allows acting on the operatingmeans to cause the door to close from an open position and then allowsactivating or operating the locking means. In summary, the system of theinvention is sequential; first the door is closed and then it is locked.

The epicyclic gear train is a gear train comprising at least oneplanetary gear, also referred to as outside gear, rotating about a sungear, or central gear. The planetary gears are assembled on a mobile armreferred to as planet carrier which in turn can rotate with respect tothe sun gear.

The power source, which can be an electric motor, acts as a control foropening and closing the operating means for the doors, such that when ithas finished acting on said operating means it acts as an operatingcontrol for the locking means. By mechanically assuring this sequentialsynchronization in the movements, actuation of the locking means isprevented in the event that the leaves of the doors are not in theclosed position.

The possibility of the power source consisting of any drive means, suchas for example an electric motor or control, a pneumatic motor or anyother type of means for generating or producing power, including manualoperation, is contemplated; therefore the system of the invention isextremely versatile as it allows its operation with different powersources.

It is also contemplated that the input shaft of the epicyclic gear trainis operatively in solidarity with a sun gear which meshes with at leastone input planetary gear, preferably with three input planetary gears,which is operatively connected with at least one output planetary gear,preferably three, according to a gear reduction ratio.

The output planetary gear in turn meshes with an output shaft configuredto transmit its rotating movement to the operating means and the drivepulley, whereas the input planetary gear is operatively in solidaritywith the output planetary gear by means of the planet carrier, forexample by means of common shafts which allow the rotation of saidplanetary gears.

By means of said gear reduction ratio, since the input planetary gearshave a diameter greater than the output planetary gears, their rotationis prevented when the door is in the locked position. In the event thatthe system does not have said reduction ratio, i.e., in the event thatthe input and output planetary gears have the same diameter, therotation would be allowed, thereby existing the possibility that the armof the epicyclic gear train could move.

The possibility of the planet carrier comprising an arm which isconfigured to act on transmission means when the input shaft is movingand the output shaft is locked is contemplated, said transmission meansbeing configured to activate the locking means of the door.

The epicyclic gear train is configured to perform an operating functionof the locking means by means of the transmission means. During thetranslation movement of the door, both for opening it and closing it,the planet carrier and its arm remain immobile, fixed or locked, wherebythe movement of the power source is transmitted directly from the inputsun gear to the drive pulley, with a suitable gear reduction ratio,usually between three or four to one.

According to a preferred embodiment in which the doors are the doors ofa rail vehicle, while said leaves of the door are moving with respect tothe body of the vehicle, the arm of the epicyclic gear train is lockedand the movement of the power source is transmitted directly to thedrive pulley, which is configured to move the leaves of the door. Thistransmission is performed through the movement of the central sun gears.

Next, when the door is in its closed position, the drive pulley reachesits end of travel position, at which time the power source continues toact, whereby since the output shaft is locked, the epicyclic gear trainacts by transmitting the movement from the power source to the planetcarrier and to its arm which starts to move, causing the operation ofthe transmission means, which in turn transmit said operation to thelocking means. The locking of the door is thus coordinated with itstranslation movements, the locking means being activated once the dooris closed.

The epicyclic gear train thus allows operating the translation movementsfor opening and closing the doors and, in a synchronized and sequentialmanner, operating the locking means.

The epicyclic gear train also allows reducing the speed at the output ofthe power source, without the need for an external reducer between saidpower source and the drive pulley. The epicyclic gear train actuallyallows dispensing and/or collaborating with an external reducer.

To unlock the doors, prior to the beginning of the movement for openingthe doors, with the locking means activated, in addition to normallybeing secured by a motor brake and the actual operation of the epicyclicgear train, the power source begins its movement to cause the doors toopen, but since the leaves of the door are locked, the power sourcecauses the rotation of the arm of the epicyclic gear train, which beginsto rotate in the direction opposite to that of the activation forlocking the doors, whereby deactivating said locking, thus releasing thelocking means.

The movement is limited by means of a stop outside the arm of theepicyclic gear train so that it travels only what is necessary to allowthe deactivation of the locking means. When the arm reaches said stopall the movement of the power source is transmitted to the drive pulley,which causes the translation movement for opening the leaves of thedoor.

It is contemplated that the locking means are located in a side area ofthe door and comprise at least one retaining bolt in solidarity with thedoor, said retaining bolt being configured to be housed in a cam groovehaving a retaining part which is in solidarity with respect to anopening of the door, i.e., it is not displaced with said door, which islocked in a locked position after closing.

The locking means comprise at least one locking lug configured to beactuated by means of the transmission means and lock the retaining partin the locked position in which the retaining part houses said retainingbolt.

When the door has ended its travel for closing the door parallel to itsown plane and is beginning its final phase for the inward movement inthe closed position, in combination with a component transverse to theplane of door, the cam groove of the retaining part is thus housed orself-locked in the retaining bolt of the door, being locked in theclosed position by means of the action of the locking lug, which isoperated or actuated by the movement made by the arm of the epicyclicgear train through the transmission means.

In the particular embodiment in which the door is in a rail vehicle, thelocking means remain in solidarity, i.e., there is no relative movement,with respect to the body of the vehicle, and therefore with respect tothe opening of the door, at all times.

Given that the doors do not withstand horizontal loads caused, forexample, in situations of trains passing one another, but rather theyonly withstand the actual vertical load of the door, the locking meansare the elements withstanding said horizontal load or thrust, whichallows optimally using each part of the door depending on saiddistribution of components, while at the same time the safety isincreased and the risk of malfunction is minimized.

In the systems used today, all the components of the loads to which thedoor was subjected, for example while the trains are in transit, werewithstood by the actual door and transmitted to the opening/closingmechanism, with the subsequent risk of malfunction that this entails dueto load peaks, especially due to the horizontal thrusts occurring whentwo trains pass one another.

The locking means can thus withstand very high loads due to horizontalactions when trains pass one another, which loads can range from 4000 Pato 9000 Pa.

Therefore, the locking means or system is independent in relation to thedistribution of loads, withstanding the horizontal loads, although itshares its operation with the translation means, i.e. with the systemcausing the movements for opening and closing, which withstands thevertical loads, which allows optimizing the locking process and betterwithstanding horizontal forces.

The shape and orientation of the cam groove can be horizontal orvertical, complying in any case with its function of housing andretaining the retaining bolt, which is determined by the actual featuresof the design of the remaining components outside the door, for exampleaccording to the situation of the mechanisms for cleaning a railvehicle.

The possibility of the locking means comprising at least one automaticlocking mechanism of the automatic locking/closing mechanism type actingon the latch of the closing mechanism of a conventional door iscontemplated.

Said automatic locking mechanism comprises elastic means, such as forexample springs, which are configured to permanently act on the lockinglug, such that it permanently acts on the retaining part, i.e., saidlocking lug, and therefore the locking means are permanently loaded tolock the door.

With respect to the transmission means, it is contemplated that theycomprise push-pull operating cables and/or rods, which allows mechanicalactivation.

For their use in the invention, said push-pull cables and/or rods do notrequire being displaced more than approximately 30 mm, such that arotation of the arm of an 8-10° angle allows reaching any point of thedoor. Preferably two or three cables are arranged per door, for whichthe torque supplied by a small motor of about 100 W power is sufficient,without having to function at full power.

It is also contemplated that the invention comprises an emergency systemsharing one and the same push-pull cable centralizer for the emergencypull handle and for the cables of the transmission means of the system,as well as the placement of two cables in parallel for redundancy.

The emergency system allows releasing the motor brake, such that theemergency cable does not act on the locking operations performed duringthe service of the system, i.e. in non-emergency situations. To releaseor unlock the emergency cable, a force not greater than 15 kg isrequired, which force is determined by safety regulations, for thepurpose of allowing the release of the door without a motor brake, i.e.,to allow easily opening the door in case of emergency.

The possibility of the transmission means comprising at least onepneumatic electrovalve, at least one hydraulic pump, like the brakemeans used in motorcycles, as well as at least one electromagnet, isalso contemplated.

According to a preferred embodiment, the power source and the epicyclicgear train are supported by means of an adjustable support frame whichis located on the opening of the door, said support frame being able toconsist of an upper support structure, comprising a standard centralpart and two customized side sections according to the width and size ofthe door, thus being adjustable and requiring less stock, allowinggreater versatility and easier assembly of the system, especially forits implementation in different rail vehicles.

The possibility of the door being linked to a vertical rotation axis insolidarity with the opening by means of at least one dislocatable linkwhich, at a first end is fixed to said vertical rotation axis and at asecond end is articulated to a vertex of a triangular part by means of aroller guide is contemplated, said triangular part comprising a rollerguide in each vertex, and two roller guides being housed, withdisplacement possibility, in a guide located in an inner face of thedoor, according to its translation direction.

Said dislocatable link is a simple mechanism which allows maintaining atall times the parallelism of the leaf of the door, being adapted to anypath for the inward movement of the leaf of the door, includingdifferent angles and distances for pushing it out.

The wheels are optimally adjusted to the guide, without allowances, bymeans of this mechanism. By means of modifying the length of the links,it is possible to adapt to different lengths for pushing the leaf out.The mechanism allows placing at least three wheels without transmittingany torque to the guide.

The system comprises bars which, by means of the connecting rods, mustmove on guides along the leaf of the door. Additionally, the requirementof parallelism in turn transmits the mechanical actions between theexisting guides. The horizontal actions on the door are transferred tothe dislocatable links which assure that the locking effect istransferred to the entire leaf of the door, transmitting part of thelocking forces to the entire leaf.

Usually the distance of the outward movement or for pushing out the dooris between 40-80 mm, although the mechanism can reach greater distances,said distance for pushing out the door being determined by the trianglesand the curved guides.

The angle for the outward movement of the door is determined on one handby the geometry of the triangular part, having three vertexes, one beingarticulated to the door by means of a joint, another one to the curvedguide and the third one to the displaceable guide, and on the other handthe geometry of the curved guide, to define the inward movement and themovement for pushing the door out. With a standard roller guide it isnecessary to have a link for each type of pushing out movement, i.e.,for each curved guide geometry, whereas the dislocatable link allowsusing the same geometry for any type of pushing out movement. With thedislocatable link the door automatically maintains parallelism of thelower part and the upper part.

The possibility of the dislocatable link having a non-planar, bent orsplit shape with a step according to its profile is also contemplated inorder to be adapted to the fairing of the train, equally carrying outits function. Therefore, the system is adaptable to different types offairing according to the different car manufacturers, which allowsreducing the weight of the systems currently used by about 50%.

It is contemplated that the system for the translation and lockingoperation of sliding doors proposed by the invention comprises at leastone pin configured to allow a movement of the arm of the planet carrierwhen said at least one door is in a closed position.

The operation or movement of the epicyclic gear train is limited by saidpin, which can incorporate a groove configured to coincide with the armand allow its operating movement when said pin is displaced as a resultof the door closing, thus being a dual safety means, though it is not anindispensable element, given that the arm does not move until it isoperated when the door is in the closed position and the drive pulleyreaches its end of travel position, such that the output shaft islocked, the arm of the epicyclic gear train acting at said time. As adual safety measure, and in a synchronized manner, at the same time thedoor is located in its closed position, it acts on a pin which allowsthe movement of the arm by means of its groove.

Said pin thus prevents the actuation of the arm, and therefore theoperation of the locking means, in the event that the door is notclosed, and as a result of a failed locking or a jam, the output shaftis locked, which would lead to the movement of said arm, even if thedoor is not closed, said situation being prevented by means of thearrangement of said pin.

To actuate the system, incorporating said pin, as the arm is releasedand the drive pulley is stopped since the leaves of the door havereached their end of travel position, the arm of the epicyclic geartrain begins to rotate about the input and output shafts since the powersource continues with the movement to close them. Said movement is thusused to operate the corresponding control.

The possibility of the system of the invention comprising a ratchetmechanism, in solidarity with the output shaft and located in parallelto the drive pulley is also contemplated, said ratchet mechanism beingconfigured to prevent the rotation of the output shaft until it ismechanically actuated by the arm of the planet carrier when said arm hasdeactivated the locking means.

When the power source receives the order to open the doors, it sends thepower to the epicyclic gear train and to the pulley. Since the pulley islocked by the catch, the epicyclic gear train can only operate therelease of the locking. Once the aforementioned is performed, theratchet mechanism is released by means of a pin, the epicyclic geartrain is locked for the previously mentioned operation and the door ispushed out and translated.

Mechanical locking of the shaft of the motor, or input shaft, in theclosed position is thus achieved in a location outside the drive pulley.

An abrupt popping occurring when the locking is released and undesiredactions are prevented by means of said ratchet mechanism.

When the doors are closed and have been secured with the latch, theepicyclic gear train operates the locking mechanism. Additionally andparallel to the shaft of the pulley there is a ratchet mechanism which,when the pin has been released by the operation of the doors, in turnlocks the opening mechanism. When the power source receives the order toopen the doors, it sends the power to the epicyclic gear train and tothe pulley. Since the pulley is locked by the catch, the epicyclic geartrain can only operate the locking release mechanism. Once the foregoinghas been carried out, the ratchet mechanism is released by means of apin, the epicyclic gear train is locked for the previously mentionedoperation and the door is pushed out and translated.

On the other hand, the possibility of the system for the translation andlocking operation of sliding doors according to a preferred embodimentbeing located in a vehicle and comprising at least one closed doorsensor and at least one locked door sensor configured to prevent saidvehicle from starting up in the event that said sensors detect that thedoor is not closed or locked is contemplated. These sensors aresequential, therefore in the event that any of them should fail acontrol prevents the vehicle from starting up on its way.

It is also contemplated that the epicyclic gear train comprises aprotection configured to prevent said epicyclic gear train from becomingdirty.

Said protection can consist of a high-strength plastic bag comprisingquick closing means and contains substances protecting against dirt.

Rather than arranging a protective casing, a plastic bag that isresistant at high temperatures, such as for example up to 120°, withVelcro, clamp or zip closure, after the placement of a netting, toprotect against dirt, is arranged. A bushing can be arranged in theshaft areas and it can be regularly replaced.

It is contemplated that the epicyclic gear train comprises frictionbearings, which is inexpensive, as well as bearings.

The elements projecting outside the system are preferably made ofstainless steel and the remaining components are zinc or powder coated.

Finally the possibility of the power source consisting of a motor withthe epicyclic gear train incorporated is contemplated.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

To complement the description being made and for the purpose of aidingto better understand the features of the invention according to apreferred practical embodiment thereof, a set of drawings is attached asan integral part of said description in which the following has beendepicted with an illustrative and non-limiting character:

FIG. 1 shows a schematic elevational view of a preferred embodiment ofthe system for the translation and locking operation of sliding doorsproposed by the invention, in which the system is in a double-leafsliding door of a rail vehicle.

FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of the upper part of the embodimentdepicted in the previous figure.

FIG. 3 shows a detail, according to an upper perspective view, of theepicyclic gear train comprised in the system of the invention.

FIG. 4 shows a partial section of an elevational view of the embodimentshown in the previous figures, in which the electric motor and theepicyclic gear train can be seen, in which the arm of the planet carrieris configured to act on a push-pull operating cable when it is releasedby the pin for closing the doors.

FIG. 5 shows a schematic perspective view of the locking means of theleaf of the door comprised in the system of the invention, in a lockedposition.

FIG. 6 shows a section of an elevational view of the locking means shownin the previous figure, also in a locked position.

FIG. 7 shows a section like that of the previous figure, in which saidlocking means are in an unlocked position.

FIG. 8 shows a plan view of a leaf of the door in an intermediate openposition, in which a dislocatable link and its contribution tomaintaining the parallelism of said leaf can be seen.

FIG. 9 shows a perspective view of a variant of the locking means, whichcomprise an automatic locking mechanism configured to keep said lockingmeans permanently activated.

FIG. 10 shows a perspective view of the epicyclic gear train, in whichthe arrangement of the ratchet mechanism can be seen.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

In view of the described figures, it can be observed how in one of thepossible embodiments of the invention, it relates to a system for thetranslation and locking operation of sliding doors comprising two doors(1) configured to perform a sliding movement operated by operating means(3), comprising a drive pulley (12), and actuated by means of a powersource (2) consisting of an electric motor and which is operativelyconnected to an input shaft (5) of an epicyclic gear train (4).

The epicyclic gear train (4) comprises a planet carrier (10) and isconfigured to sequentially activate locking means (14) of the door (1)when it is in a closed position, being in a locked position in which thedrive pulley (12) does not act.

The epicyclic gear train (4) is also configured to prevent an activationof said locking means (14) when the door (1) is not in the closedposition.

The power source (2), which can consist of an electric motor, acts as acontrol for opening and closing the operating means (3) for the doors(1), such that when it has finished acting on said operating means (3)it acts as an operating control for the locking means (14). Bymechanically assuring this sequential synchronization in the movements,actuation of the locking means (14) is prevented in the event that theleaves of the doors (1) are not in the closed position.

The input shaft (5) of the epicyclic gear train (4) is operatively insolidarity with a sun gear (7) which meshes with three input planetarygears (8), which are operatively connected with three output planetarygears (9), according to a gear reduction ratio.

The output planetary gears (9) in turn mesh with an output shaft (6)configured to transmit its rotating movement to the operating means (3)and the drive pulley (12), whereas the input planetary gears (8) areoperatively in solidarity with the output planetary gears (9) by meansof the planet carrier (10) by means of common shafts which allow therotation of said planetary gears (8, 9).

On the other hand, the planet carrier (10) comprises an arm (11) whichis configured to act on transmission means (18) when the input shaft (5)is moving and the output shaft (6) is locked, said transmission means(18) being configured to activate the locking means (14) of the door(1).

According to a preferred embodiment in which the doors (1) are the doorsof a rail vehicle, while said leaves of the door (1) are moving withrespect to the body of the vehicle, the arm (11) of the epicyclic geartrain (4) is locked and the movement of the power source (2) istransmitted directly to the drive pulley (12), which is configured tomove the leaves of the door (1). This transmission is performed throughthe movement of the central sun gears.

Next, when the door (1) stops upon reaching its closed position, whichcauses the stopping of both the drive pulley (12) and a guide pulley(13) collaborating with it, the power source (2) continues to act,whereby since the output shaft (6) is locked, the epicyclic gear trainacts by transmitting the movement from the power source (2) to theplanet carrier (10) and to its arm (11) which starts to move, causingthe operation of the transmission means (18), which in turn transmitsaid operation to the locking means (14). The locking of the door (1) isthus coordinated with its translation movements, the locking means (14)being activated once the door (1) is closed.

To unlock the doors (1), prior to the beginning of the movement foropening the doors, with the locking means (14) activated, in addition tonormally being secured by means of a motor brake and the actualoperation of the epicyclic gear train (4), the power source (2) beginsits movement to cause the doors to open, but since the leaves of thedoor (1) are locked, the power source (2) causes the rotation of the arm(11) of the epicyclic gear train (4), which begins to rotate in thedirection opposite to that of activation of the locking, wherebydeactivating said locking, thus releasing the locking means (4).

As can be seen in FIG. 4, the movement is limited by means of anexternal stop (25) outside the arm (11) of the epicyclic gear train (4)so that it travels only what is necessary to allow the deactivation ofthe locking means (14). When the arm (11) reaches said external stop(25) all the movement of the power source (2) is transmitted to thedrive pulley (12), which causes the translation movement for opening theleaves of the door (1).

The locking means (14) are located in a side area of the door (1), andcomprise a retaining bolt (15) in solidarity with the door (1), saidretaining bolt (15) being configured to be housed in a cam groove (16′)having a retaining part (16) which is in solidarity with respect to theopening of the door (1), which is locked in a locked position afterclosing.

The locking means (14) comprise a locking lug (17) configured to beactuated by means of the transmission means (18) and lock the retainingpart (16) in the locked position, in which the retaining part (16)houses said retaining bolt (15).

According to one embodiment variant, depicted in FIG. 9, the lockingmeans (14) comprise an automatic locking mechanism of the automaticlocking/closing mechanism type acting on the latch of the closingmechanism of a conventional door.

Said automatic locking mechanism comprises springs which are configuredto permanently act on the locking lug (17), such that it permanentlyacts on the retaining part (16), i.e., said locking lug (17), andtherefore the locking means (14) are permanently loaded to lock the door(1).

With respect to the transmission means (18), they consist of push-pulloperating cables.

According to a preferred embodiment, the power source (2) and theepicyclic gear train (4) are supported by means of an adjustable supportframe (19) which is located on the opening of the door (1), said supportframe (19) being able to consist of an upper support structure,comprising a standard central part and two customized side sectionsaccording to the width and size of the door, thus being adjustable andrequiring less stock, allowing greater versatility and easier assemblyof the system, especially for its implementation in different railvehicles.

Each door (1) is linked to a vertical rotation axis in solidarity withthe opening by means of at least one dislocatable link (21) which, at afirst end (21′), is fixed to said vertical rotation axis and at a secondend (21″) is articulated to a vertex (22′) of a triangular part (22) bymeans of a roller guide (23), said triangular part (22) comprising aroller guide (23) in each vertex (22′), and two roller guides (23) beinghoused, with displacement possibility, in a guide located in an innerface of the said at least one door (1), according to its translationdirection, as can be seen in FIG. 8.

The system for the translation and locking operation of sliding doorsproposed by the invention comprises a pin (20) configured to allow amovement of the arm (11) of the planet carrier (10) when said at leastone door (1) is in a closed position.

As depicted in FIGS. 4 and 10, the operation or movement of theepicyclic gear train (4) is limited by said pin (20), which canincorporate a groove configured to coincide with the arm (11) and allowits operating movement when said pin (20) is displaced as a result ofthe door closing, thus being a dual safety means, though it is not anindispensable element, given that the arm does not move until it isoperated when the door (1) is in the closed position and the drivepulley (12) reaches its end of travel position, such that the outputshaft (6) is locked, the arm of the epicyclic gear train (4) acting atsaid time.

The system of the invention also comprises a ratchet mechanism (24), insolidarity with the output shaft (6) and located parallel to the drivepulley (12), said ratchet mechanism (24) being configured to prevent therotation of the output shaft (6) until it is mechanically actuated bythe arm (11) of the planet carrier (10) when said arm (11) hasdeactivated the locking means (14), as depicted in FIG. 10.

When the power source receives the order to open the doors, it sends thepower to the epicyclic gear train and to the pulley. Since the pulley islocked by the catch, the epicyclic gear train can only operate therelease of the locking. Once the aforementioned is performed, theratchet mechanism (24) is released by means of a pin, the epicyclic geartrain is locked for the previously mentioned operation and the door ispushed out and translated.

According to a preferred embodiment, the system for the translation andlocking operation of sliding doors is in a rail vehicle and comprises aclosed door sensor (1) and a locked door sensor (1) configured toprevent said vehicle from starting up in the event that said sensorsdetect that the door is not closed or locked.

The epicyclic gear train (4) also comprises a protection configured toprevent said epicyclic gear train (4) from becoming dirty, consisting ofa high-strength plastic bag comprising quick closing means andcontaining substances protecting against dirt.

In view of this description and set of drawings, the person skilled inthe art can understand that the embodiments of the invention which havebeen described can be combined in multiple ways within the object of theinvention. The invention has been described according to severalpreferred embodiments thereof, but for the person skilled in the art itwill be evident that multiple variations can be introduced in saidpreferred embodiments without exceeding the object of the claimedinvention.

1-18. (canceled)
 19. System for the translation and locking operation ofsliding doors comprising at least one door (1) configured to perform asliding movement operated by operating means (3), comprising at leastone drive pulley (12), actuated by means of at least one power source(2), wherein said at least one power source (2) is operatively connectedto an input shaft (5) of an epicyclic gear train (4) comprising a planetcarrier (10) configured to activate locking means (14) of said at leastone door (1) when it is in a closed position, said epicyclic gear train(4) being configured to prevent an activation of said locking means (14)when said at least one door (1) is not in the closed position. 20.System for the translation and locking operation of sliding doorsaccording to claim 19, wherein the input shaft (5) of the epicyclic geartrain (4) is operatively in solidarity with sun gear (7) which mesheswith at least one input planetary gear (8) which is operativelyconnected with at least one output planetary gear (9), according to agear reduction ratio, said at least one output planetary gear (9)meshing with an output shaft (6) configured to transmit its rotatingmovement to the operating means (3) and the drive pulley (12), whereinsaid at least one input planetary gear (8) is operatively in solidaritywith said at least one output planetary gear (9) by means of the planetcarrier (10).
 21. System for the translation and locking operation ofsliding doors according to claim 20, wherein the planet carrier (10)comprises an arm (11) which is configured to act on transmission means(18) when the input shaft (5) is moving and the output shaft (6) islocked, said transmission means (18) being configured to activate thelocking means (14) of said at least one door (1).
 22. System for thetranslation and locking operation of sliding doors according to claim21, wherein the locking means (14) are located in a side area of said atleast one door (1), and comprise at least one retaining bolt (15) insolidarity with said at least one door (1), said at least one retainingbolt (15) being configured to be housed in a cam groove (16′) having aretaining part (16) which is in solidarity with respect to an opening ofsaid at least one door (1) being locked in a locked position afterclosing, said locking means (14) comprising at least one locking lug(17) configured to be actuated by means of the transmission means (18)and to lock the retaining part (16) in said locked position, in whichthe retaining part (16) houses said retaining bolt (15).
 23. System forthe translation and locking operation of sliding doors according toclaim 22, wherein the locking means (14) comprise at least one automaticlocking mechanism that comprises elastic means configured to permanentlyact on the locking lug (17), such that it permanently acts on theretaining part (16).
 24. System for the translation and lockingoperation of sliding doors according to claim 21, wherein thetransmission means (18) comprise push-pull operating cables and/or rods.25. System for the translation and locking operation of sliding doorsaccording to claim 21, wherein the transmission means (18) comprise atleast one pneumatic electrovalve.
 26. System for the translation andlocking operation of sliding doors according to claim 21, wherein thetransmission means (18) comprise at least one hydraulic pump.
 27. Systemfor the translation and locking operation of sliding doors according toclaim 21, wherein the transmission means (18) comprise at least oneelectromagnet.
 28. System for the translation and locking operation ofsliding doors according to claim 19, characterized in that said at leastone power source (2) and the epicyclic gear train (4) are supported bymeans of a support frame (19) located on an opening of said at least onedoor (1).
 29. System for the translation and locking operation ofsliding doors according to claim 19, wherein said at least one door (1)is linked to a vertical rotation axis with the opening of said at leastone door (1), by means of at least one dislocatable link (21) which, ata first end (21′), is fixed to said vertical rotation axis and at asecond end (21″) is articulated to a vertex (22′) of a triangular part(22) by means of a roller guide (23), said triangular part (22)comprising a roller guide (23) in each vertex (22′), and two rollerguides (23) being housed, with displacement possibility, in a guidelocated in an inner face of said at least one the door (1), according toits translation direction.
 30. System for the translation and lockingoperation of sliding doors according to claim 21, wherein it comprisesat least one pin (20) configured to allow a movement of the arm (11) ofthe planet carrier (10) when said at least one door (1) is in a closedposition.
 31. System for the translation and locking operation ofsliding doors according to claim 21, wherein it comprises a ratchetmechanism (24) in solidarity with the output shaft (6) and located inparallel to the drive pulley (12), said ratchet mechanism (24) beingconfigured to prevent the rotation of the output shaft (6) until it ismechanically actuated by the arm (11) of the planet carrier (10) whensaid arm (11) has deactivated the locking means (14).
 32. System for thetranslation and locking operation of sliding doors according to claim19, wherein it is in a vehicle and comprises at least one closed doorsensor (1) and at least one locked door sensor (1) configured to preventsaid vehicle from starting up in the event that said sensors detect thatthe door is not closed or locked.
 33. System for the translation andlocking operation of sliding doors according to claim 19, characterizedin that the epicyclic gear train (4) comprises a protection configuredto prevent said epicyclic gear train (4) from becoming dirty.
 34. Systemfor the translation and locking operation of sliding doors according toclaim 31, wherein the protection consists of a high-strength plastic bagcomprising quick closing means and contains substances protectingagainst dirt.
 35. System for the translation and locking operation ofsliding doors according to claim 19, wherein the epicyclic gear train(4) comprises friction bearings.
 36. System for the translation andlocking operation of sliding doors according to claim 19, wherein theepicyclic gear train (4) comprises bearings.